Adam M.'s Profile
Date
Paramus, NJ 07652
(201) 880-8156
Sugar and Plumm
Categories:
Desserts,
Coffee & Tea
This joint is set up like a bakery/cafe/restaurant and candy shop.
There are all kinds of amazing looking baked goods to try up front and many kinds o classic, vintage and new candy.
We have never eaten in but the restaurant menu looks n smell great, ESP the crepes.
I always come for the latter tho. Not only is it the best in the btc, but also the best priced! It is always perfect hot or iced, and the vailla syrup is actually packed w vanilla bean, which is a rare and good find for the area.
The counter staff is always very friendly and social, I've had some interest conversations up there, and they always remember me and my order and habit f tablet picture taking. Lol. A couple now have decided to switch to the Toshiba over the I pad it seems now. Lol
If your cruising the btc, give place a good look. Its the perfect place to get a coffee and browse for that perfect cutesy/romantic/nostalgic eible for almost any special person that craves sweet. Def something I'd expect more in Vegas or the village, but a very welcome change for Paramus!!!
The other half and I come to this location pretty much every Sat and Sunday morning. This location does not seem to do their own baking, I think it is done on out water lane. The staff is pretty much consistent every time we go, are always pleasant and nice dealing w us two fussy nuts at 5am in all states of I sobriety but they have remembers us by face and what we order since our second visit. They pretty much always get our customizations right, and are always quick. Being so early the donuts are always fresh, and they never have a problem getting us something not yet on the shelf. We are always helped by one of the younger ladies, the older guys working there, who are clearly in charge do not always seem focused on the sandwiches and are not always on the ball w the customizations but are friendly and rarely at the counter. It is also nice dealing w the girls because they actually eat meat and can answer questions on the new sausage sandwiches or the different eggs.
The location is always clean, and with the exception of a few types of donut (due to our timing) things are always stocked, ESP the white cheese, which not all locations always have (whyyyyyyy?)
The personal attention to recognise us and our order will always keep us coming back here before out water lane. Its too bad this store isn't also 24 hours.
Listed in: My Neighborhood
As of my last review, Bistro as on a solid rise back up.....n now they own again!
Bistro remains one of our favorite spots locally for craft pints n good bistro grub.
Recently to try: the seafood stew, which multiple ppl ordered at our table, was great. This is a dish we'd normally have to pay out the ass for at legal SF.....I found it a little heavy on squid, however the scallops were so good, perfectly cooked and the littlenecks were nice ad big and te mussles were plentiful n tasty. The sauce was a little creamy, but till a solid chiopino style stew.
The short rib quesodilla, while not like a normal tortilla by any means, was meaty, crispy outside, and soooo tender. Based on the AP, I may very well try a short rib entrée next visit, and frankly, I don't usually ever eat anyone's short ribs but my on or at Red Hen.
The pork baby vacks are standard and comparable to fire and oak or Houston's/hillstone, however maintain their own flavor (which matches well w the chicken lollipops). They were fall off the bone tender. One of our party got the ribeye, which was cooked perfectly and my uncle loved it, it wasn't too fatty and the bone was a great touch and I am sure their olden retriever agreed. This wd the first time bringing family, and everyone WA impressed.
The beer selection was good as always. The founders was much needed, and more so the Yards Washington porter, a true piece of history, has been very long awaited to come back in season, and this was our first time having it on tap. Solid brew! A sure shot r all porter fans. Our friend really likes the ommegang Aphrodite, however def not for me. Lol. It would be great to see some great divide n bear repub on tap here, too bad they are not local.
The service, a friend of my aunt's, was new this week and still training and WA very attentive and helpful w the ever changing menu and helping my fam, who are not the most knowledgeable beer geeks, in chosig. She did very well, however the waiter who was training her needs to ease off a bit...this is a bistro and brew joint, and it was not that busy.....and he was very much in a rush to get orders in. We know the food here comes out fairly quick, and with 4 aps and heavy pints w family we don't see often, we don't want to order the main course so soon to the apps, ESP since everything is fresh to order and mussles take longer then a quesodilla.....also being pint night we planned to stay till closing w friends anyway. Overall to a very good meal and experience w the fam, followed a some chill pints w good company.
I can't stress enough to my crew that Bistro is a solid choice they have to try....often! The constant menu changes and even Moe consistent craft beer rotations always provide something new and tasty to try......be it just apps n punts/cocktails friends, or a catch up dinner w mom and the family.
bistro 55, keep up the good work! If things stay where they ae, we will totally forget that you had blue moon on the craft menu last year ;)
Listed in: My Neighborhood, Top Restaurants, Bars
3 Previous Reviews:
-
9/29/2011
Been spending a LOT more time here on Wednesdays. The beer menu has def gotten a LOT better again after my last review.....very happy they are still doing pint night! :D It changes very often now, and I havent seen a big name brew in a LONG time. Very nice. Plus I've seen the dude my friend and I met on our first visit around lately too.
We've been havin the burgers and apps a lot and we like em, its all about the beer really for us tho. Keep the pint night comin !
I wish there was enough light in there to take more pics.
This place with the interior modeling of the now closed Fire&Oak up in wayne would be SWEET. -
12/8/2010
whoever is working the beer dept rite now should be fired. Its mostly Ithica and Longtrail....who between the two of them dont even have ONE decent brew, and Blue Moon???? If you offer ANYTHING made by bud, coors or miller or marketed by them in ANY way on your menu....then you are selling generic garbage......you deserve a false advertising charge for calling it "craft" or "microbrew" or "local" beer. Blue moon is about as craft as sam addams....meaning not at all.
Shoulda stuck with what they had. and Weekly rotation? Sorry but brooklyn lager and ithica apricot what? theyve had both since they opened, thats not rotating.
Wont be coming back till they actually change back to worwhile beer from legit breweries.....obviou sly the dude who WAS handling it before....is gone. Such a pitty. -
2/7/2010
The boy and I have been fans of the South City franchises for a while now....we're especially fans of Fire and Oak....being that I live only a few thousand feet away from Bistro, we figured we'd check it out, and it more then met my expectations.
The look of the place is nice, which is standard of all the restaurants from the SCG franchise. Very chill and laid back (but not AT ALL pretentious). A lot of candles and dark wood tones and accents. There is a nice bar area and a couple of traditional long beer hall tables with dining rooms off to the side.
For starters, I would call this less of a "bistro" and a little more of a gastropub. The beer selections here are amazing. The server got a little into the restaurant's mission of trying to locally source seasonal foods, which I'm all about, but to me the highlight was the beer, which I will get to.
The food was good. The menu is limited and supposedly seasonal. We started with the guinness glaze chicken lollipops, which were great. The glaze was nice and light and in no way reminiscient of the old guinness menu from bennegans..lol...the se wings worked. Well. The burgers are year round, and thats what we came for. They were very nice sized burgers cooked very well to order. The meat come from entirely grass fed cows, and grass fed really adds to the flavor of meat, and it really makes for a more satisfying piece of meat. The cheese on the burger was also really good (we went for the cheddar). The bun was good, brioche I think /w seeds, however not being a big fan of bread, I opted to eat mine w/o the roll.....They offer daily specials such as half priced app nite, risotto nite, 3$ pint night, and an oyester night depending on the day of the week.
The beer....well the draft beer rotates seasonally and is for the most part all locally brewed micro-beers of varying ABV %'s. They also offer many upon many bottled beers in both normal sizes and big 750ml, which are a bit pricey. They offer a "beer flight" where you can chose up to 4 draft beers which they serve in 4.5oz pony glasses for 11$. We tried the Brooklyn Dark Chocolate stout 10%abv...which was great, the Muddy Creek porter, the Trippel and the Blonde ale. All of them we're very good and fresh. On weds, they offer 3$ pints, cant wait to check that out.
Onto service.....the service was exelent. The place wasnt very busy today, prolly due to it being superbowl sunday, so we got a lot of attention. Our server was VERY knowledgable of the beers available...definate ly a fellow beer nerd, and on learning we were beer nerds had a pretty in depth conversation about the beers and pairing t hem with the food. He said he is the locations beer master, and he DOES definitely know his sh*t on the subject. He was very attentive to our needs aside from the beer as well. Very pleasant.
This place IS going to be working its way into our routine, more for drinking then for eating. hehe. If your a beer nerd, def check the place out.....theres not a lot of places like this in the area. If your a fan off gastropubs also check it out. It's def worth a look.
The restaurant has very nice decor abd design, very contemporary. Booths, tables, great friendly vibe, great view of the Manhattan skyline during sunrise.
We ordered the two eggs (poached) w potatoes and sausage, and a blueberry pancakes w bacon n fresh on n split them. The eggs were cooked perfectly, fully cooked and fukky soft yolks.....broken over potatoes...mmm foodgasm! The sausage was really good. The pancakes.....nice and fluffy and light, with very fresh blueberries and real syrup ( not maple corn syrup. Sweet!).
Service was very friendly, attentive, and nice.
This place will definately be on our repeat list.....even if for breakfast without being at the hotel. Lol.
Can't wait to GT into more of the menu. If you are staying in Hoboken, don't miss this breakfast!
We did dinner too......lobster pasta? Bangin!!! Amish chicken...so so. Beef barley soup? Best I had but pricey, huge portion. A meal to itself.
Solid joint!
Listed in: Top Restaurants, The Places I Go Out, Pizza, Hoboken, Nj. vacation local!
Hackensack, NJ 07601
(201) 489-0301
Ichiban Japanese Restaurant
Category:
Japanese
Listed in: My Neighborhood, Top Restaurants, Hibachi and Sushi
1 Previous Review:
-
11/29/2008
In the area there are many hibachi places, but Ichiban stands out as a shining example for all of them. This place is kiku grade but at a more reasonable price. The atmosphere is typical of a Japanese hibachi joint, and the staff is friendly and speak English for the most part.
For starters, the sushi at Ichiban is delicious. Very fresh and tender and skillfully cut. The sushi bar also has daily specials available and although I am not the most adventurous person with types of sushi, I have seen some pretty nice looking varieties of sushi made there.
The tempura is very good although the appetizer portion is a little small, but don't let that discourage you or give you the wrong impression. For the most part the servings of food you get at this restaurant are incredibly generous. I went with a group of 5 people in total and we got our own hibachi table. I myself ordered the hibachi sirloin and chicken, which was very flavorful, from my friends orders the Fillet minon was delicious and very tender, the lobster was very fresh as were the scallops, which in my opinion stood out among anything else ordered. The portion of scallops they served my friend was more then generous. Overall there was enough food per person that we all had more then enough to allow the others to sample anything they wanted. The meal comes with the usual sides like clear soup (in my opinion Ichiban has the BEST clear soup), shrimp, noodles, fresh crisp veges and rice. Fried rice is 3$ extra, however if you order one portion of fried rice it is easily enough for 2-4 people depending on how big of eaters you are. All the food was very good quality and the cook did an amazing job with it while putting on a decent show and was very polite and friendly. The restaurant has a full bar with the standard liquors as well as multiple types of sake and the alcoholic drinks my friends ordered were VERY strong. Personally, I would suggest having the fillet and the scallops if your going to have hibachi. I would also highly recommend stopping by Ichiban just for the sushi. All the hibachi meals come with a scoop of ice cream or orange sherbert, they serve a very strong green tea ice cream, an absolutely delicious red bean ice cream, as well as the usual American standard flavors.
Ichiban is definitely a great place to go with a group for a nice night out with friends or coworkers or even for a nice date (although with just two people if it is busy you will probably share a table with one or two other couples). The entire experience overall was very enjoyable and in my opinion Ichiban certainly stands out above many of the other local hibachi restaurants. The only problem of the evening is that the waiters are VERY pushy and insistent on the topic of how much they think they deserve to be tipped and have NO problem insisting you give them more money. We tipped the cook and sushi counter individually, as they are the true artists of the meal and they seemed quite pleased, however the wait staff was very openly against this and was very vocal about it and actually demanded 20$ more then the original 30$ given to them just to refill glasses of water and soda. After my friends response to them though I don't think they will have the nerve to do it again....aside from that this place is a definite MUST TRY for anyone in the area who is a lover of hibachi food. For those who are not into hibachi and sushi, the menu has many other options that are kitchen prepared and served at normal private tables. Check the place out...you wont be disappointed.
Teaneck, NJ 07666
(201) 530-5858
Peck Peck Korean Style Chicken
Categories:
Chicken Wings,
Korean
For a cpl years now I have been absolutely obsessed with BonChon and Tong Dak style chicken wings......Driving into NYC or to Fort Lee was just too much to do for sum1 who doesnt have his own car. lol
PeckPeck is a TINY (2-4 tables) takeout joint that does the typical wing/leg korean style double fried chicken w no breading. LOVE IT. You will never eat normal fried chicken American style again- Sorry @Popeyes.....but this is THAT good!
Like I said, its a small place, a little mom n pop run kinda thing, it seems to mostly be run by an older Korean lady and she's a doll, we always end up ordering the 20pc wings and getting a bit more then 20 pieces and they always throw in drumsticks free :D
The chicken itself is bangin. You can chose from having it tossed in either Soy Garlic or Hot n Spicy glaze. Being that there is no breading, only paper crisp fried skin, the pores soak up the sauce PERFECTLY. The chicken is always cooked thru, tender, and juicy....yet NOT greasy at all. They also offer Fries, Kimchi, Coleslaw, Chicken Croquetes, Rice, and Salads and tenders, but so far we cant make it past the wings. lol The only thing missing is BEER, however, Andy's corner bar is a block away. So you can get takeout and walk to the craft beer. lol. Granted tho this is a snacky food, and right next door you have a Yakitori joint and across the street a craft beer shop.
If you're into BonChon style chicken and beer you cant beat this place for the Hackensack area!
We've been going to this joint a LOT. It's NEVER busy, word about this place NEEDS TO GET OUT! I really hope exposure doesnt turn them into a problem like BonChon has about the 45min wait........so far...NO WAIT...perfect. LOL
Def check this place out! It would be a tragic thing if they closed just due to lack of exposure when this is such a great starting food trend!
Listed in: My Neighborhood, The Places I Go Out, Good Deals
Cambridge, MA 02141
(617) 250-8454
Lord Hobo
Categories:
Bars,
American (Traditional)
Neighborhoods: Inman Square, Kendall Square/MIT
After reading many reviews, I can see that this place is a bit of a controversy being the business that was there before (with just as much hostility as we have about the Limelite NYC now being a market for hipsters and tourists.)
Either way we liked it. It didnt have the huge beer selection as some of the other places we went to, but the selections they did have were pretty good, and so was the ppl watching. lol
We tried an app of the chicken lollipops (something we get at gastro-joints down here at home) they were good, nothing outrageously trendy or special.
Staff was a little slow and it wasnt that busy. Crowd during the middle of the day was mixed ppl in business clothes, hipster gear and sports jerseys.
Prolly be back on our next trip, more for drinking then eating tho.
Cambridge, MA 02142
(617) 806-4122
ArtBar
Category:
American (New)
Neighborhoods: East Cambridge, Kendall Square/MIT
It's really trendy, upscale and a tad pretentious but hey we're used to NYC and we're not gonna let a little smug stop us...if you have warhol art in your establishment you better be ready to deal with ex-NY clubkyds n village rats or you should just lock your doors :D
First time we went for breakfast.....not very busy. French Toast was good, poached eggs over hash was really good.
We sat inside and the look of the place is nice.
Second time we went for lunch on our way out and got the lobster rolls. Pretty good, very buttery, but Im sure quite a few native New Englanders would prolly disagree. lol
second time we sat outside since the weather was so nice, it was also a bit busier, mostly w dudes in suits, but w/e there was a big convention for novartis going on (and none too pleased having to deal w a rogue pharmer telling them how it is w the FDA and to spare their banter outside).
Overall it was ok, but not the kinda deal to be pretentious over. lol. It seemed like they do the room service for the hotel, so we'll prolly have stuff from here again, dunno about going downstairs tho when we can have it in room.
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Maywood, NJ
Yelping SinceAugust 2008
Things I Lovegood beer, great asian food n hot guidos
Find Me InBergen County, NYC, Cambridge, Boston, So. Fla
My HometownMaywood, NJ
When I'm Not Yelping...I'm eating and partying
Why You Should Read My Reviewscuz Im a fat f'er, and us fat f'ers know our food.
My Second Favorite Website The Last Great Book I Readbook? Tablet thx.
My First ConcertVinyl Rules, and your SO not gettin in w those shoes.
My Last Meal On EarthCantonese ginger and scallion lobster with Xiao Long Bao, and snow pea shoots!
Don't Tell Anyone Else But........I know what u were doing in the Roxy balcony all those summers ago. ;-)
Most Recent DiscoveryGator Tail Yakitori. Try it pussies!
Current Crushwhoever can get me southern tiers's stout recipes will own me 4 life ;-)
This location in the shoprite in Lodi, on top of being one of the better shoprites in the area for groceries too, has a pretty decent rotating selection for a grocery liquor store. On top of all the standard American swill, they usually have a couple really good and rare brews. Tonite we purchased the Dogfish head Kujo imperial coffee stout, it was on the pricey side like most df brews (13$), but came in a six pack, usually this brewery uses 4pks. I've never seen this one before anywhere else, and was very satisfied with with it. Usually when we go on a Friday there is a new craft ale available. Prices on liquor here are OK, not great. Patron XO 24$ k. For cheap label liquor I'd suggest the small liquor store on the corner of midland and market in saddle brook, which is also a good spot for brews, however lacks the convenience of groceries in one building. Lol
The staff for the most part has always been able to talk to us and explain the craft ales, unless we buy one the day it arrives before anyone has a chance to try it.
My only suggestion really would be to lower the prices on the craft ale a little. There are 2 cheaper places on market St in saddle brook with equally diverse selections and much more reasonable prices. Buying beer here can sometimes cost us more then Whole Foods in Paramus.....a good selection of some less common stuff is great, but when you don't sell loose bottles, asking for 14$ for a 6 pack just to try it is a stretch, luckily we are very pleased with the stout though, and if we can't find it elsewhere will prolly come buy it again.
If your in the mood to browse some interesting brew choices while ya do your shopping, give this place a glance. I'm surprised there are not more reviews available.